I am Waiting, but in a Good Way

 Repost from 2019...

Fast Llamas,

Fast Llamas,

We will be talking about what Doug Lemov of Teach like a Champion, 2.0 refers to as "Ratio". This is thinking intentionally about the ratio of participation of your students and the thinking that is happening in your classroom. Think of participation ratio as the engagement of the students and think ratio as the rigor of your lessons. It's always a good thing when we purposely plan for the kids in class to carry the cognitive workload. They should be the ones working harder than you! They should be the ones writing, thinking, talking & analyzing. This idea is the brainchild of KIPP schools founder David Levin and when you think about it, is what skilled teaching is all about.
The question is... if we know students should be answering questions, talking about their learning with each other and writing critically, how can we get there? What strategies can we use to stop being the 'sage on the stage?' How do we ensure that our questions aren't engaging 5 students and the rest passively watch and play along?

Let's start with the question technique called Wait Time. Using Wait Time as an intentional technique raises both the participation ratio and the think ratio. Your most likely to get better answers from more students... brilliant.

Do you think that you are modeling "how" to think when you encourage time to think? I'll wait...

If you answered yes, then you are on the right track. A big part of our job as teachers is teaching thinking skills as we teach our content. What a tremendous gift to to give our students.

Wait Time - wait what? That old thing? Yes, that old thing... I was introduced to this idea in my Methods Course at TTU in the 80's (well, 1989, but still ) & that means it's been around a loooonnng time... Which means you know about it too... the idea here is to level up and refine the practice.



Here are some ideas to use Wait Time effectively:

1. Practice using it actively... Count in your head if needed
2. Narrate to students the amount of time you will give them... "I'll give you 6 seconds to think about it, then raise your hands"
3. Do not accept "shout outs"... this will take some work if you have allowed it... talk to kids about the change in strategy and stick to it
4. Narrate hands raised... "I see one hand up, I see three hands, I see 6 hands, waiting to see 10" if you have created a culture of high expectations and safety, you will get the hands raised
5. If you still get crickets and very few hands raised... allow and encourage students to use their notes... (because reading is thinking too)
6. Affirm to students what to do with the time... show them what it means to think, say things like,"The six seconds I gave you is over, but, I see people still jotting down ideas and reading, I'll give everyone more time", "I see people using their notes, this is a good idea", " I want you to think deeply on this question, so think before you raise your hand"
7. Stop Talking - be careful with your affirmations and that you actually give students silence to think. So, d0n't affirm the entire time... say it quick and then stop talking.
8. Show students what successful thinking looks like... preface your questions when they require details and deep thinking by telling students what you expect out of the answer. For example, you could ask, "What is a chemical change?" or you could be explicit with expectations and say, "this question requires some examples, be sure to refer to your notes to backup your answer"

Here are some clips in action...

https://youtu.be/dBnuSUL0ymM

https://youtu.be/lecW6Ie9dVo

References:

Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

WEEK 4 - Focusing on Praise

Fast Llama's,

Today we are talking about what Tom Bennett calls the best extrinsic reward available to you... and it's free...

Praise... today we are talking about praise, how it works and how to be more purposeful when giving it.  I will be breaking down a part of Bennett's book, Running the Room Chapter 12, Rewards.  Running the Room has been an excellent read... poignant, realistic, and intelligent.  I highly recommend it.  

Everyone wants to be recognized, to be valued, to be noticed, to be acknowledged.  They then know they matter and you matter to them.

If you are thinking that you don't believe in praising kids for "doing the right thing" and "they should already know how to behave" or of the mindset that you are not in education for students to "like me" or "be their friend".  Well, honestly if you have that mindset you probably aren't here reading anyway.  But, if you are, I didn't want to friends with my students either,(they had plenty of their own friends and so did I) nor did the "have to like me".  I am sure that out of the thousands of students I have taught, there were lots of kids who didn't like me... (maybe they didn't like science, maybe I reminded them of someone they disliked, they didn't like my jokes or my music, or maybe a thousands things...) And, honestly, there were a few I didn't like myself.  But, I made sure they never knew it.  When you are consistent, fair, and recognize student effort, guess what?  they will end up liking you.  When students like you for these reasons, they bake for you as my husband would attest to going "shopping" for treats I brought home the day we got out for Christmas vacation.  I will say that I am friends on social media for many ex-students (and I few that I ended up teaching alongside).  And I evidently meet ex-students all the time... The message here?  Did they like my class? Do they remember me fondly? In the very tough years of middle school, was my class a place they wanted to be and feel safe?

Let's talk about Tom Bennett's advice.  

In order for praise for be effective it should be...

• sincere
• honest and deserved... you believe it and so does the student
• proportionate
• don't gush, not everything is "fantastic"
• targeted
• feedback is king here - "your report was good because..." give the feedback with specific content tied to it... 

Be mindful:

• The middle bubble - kids who are compliant and do what they should, they need praise
• The very poorly behaved - don't focus on them solely
• The very well behaved - don't over praise - it can lead to the opposite effect and normalize mediocrity
• Effect Praise requires us to know our students very well.
• Watch body language and tone - not too excessive, when you praise, it should reflect your normal tone, volume, sarcasm and body language.
• We rarely want to believe praise, so make sure you deliver it confidently

How frequently should you praise:

1. When you want a behavior repeated
2. When you want a behavior to be normalized
3. When you want the behavior to be an exemplar for others
4. When someone who struggles does something good "for them"
5. When someone who behaves well does something extraordinary - like showing unprompted kindness
6. When someone needs a pick me up

Mediocrity - Oh No!

Avoid praise for actions that are easy to preform, are given away too much, or is excessive (hello sincerity).

I like the idea of praising the action or the behavior, not the kid themselves.  I would not recognize that they are  are "smart, brilliant, or amazing", but their effort, work or product certainly is.  

Week 3 Reflections

Fast Llamas,

It's week 3 and it's got me thinking. What do I need to practice more of and what is left to teach in terms of routines?

1.  Coming into class - Students are not adhering to voice level 0 and unpacking is taking forever.  I am going to have students stand and wait in a line to enter - one at a time and practice entering with reminders of expectations.  First period is different since they arrive up to 20 minutes before the bell to eat. I am rethinking the voice level  though - it's a tough way to start class and frankly I think students need the time to talk.  Maybe, I need to adjust.

2. Opening Tradition - I started my Opening Tradition with all but 5th period.  It is going surprisingly well.  Why surprisingly?  I was unsure if post-pandemic kids would not like it, but I am glad that I am wrong.  Students stand up and clap along to one minute of "It's a Beautiful Life".  Some are asking if we are going to do it.  They NEED to stand and move. 

3.  Pack-up - we are down to 2 minutes to pack up - again, voice level 0 is a challenge.  Even though they are reminded, students are struggling to remain silent.  This I am holding onto though, we have to end class calmly.  I want to teach 7's, perhaps that routine will help.  Here's a quick video of 7's...  In Amarillo, we did 7's right before we did the exit ticket.  Then I would read each answer as I picked up journals.  Impossible here, since we only have a 4 minute passing period.  So far, we haven't done the exit ticket and sometimes we are sitting waiting for the bell for too long.

Here's my plan:

1.  Timer goes off at 6 minutes - shut down

2. Pile journals into stacks - we need to practice this

3. 7's - to signal a change in state from class to pack up - we need a shift

4. Exit ticket on laptops - I pick up journals

5. Pack up, by tables  - if they are done

6. Wait for bell - 30 seconds

Goals for this week:

1. teach 7's

2. practice entry and packup

3. teach opening tradition to 5th period

4. continue to use praise and preventing prompting

5, add Tiger tokens along with praise

Thanks for letting me work through this reflection.  The work continues into week 4.  

Week 2 and Procedures Continue

Fast Llamas,

Week 2 is under our belts and what a week it was! I believe if I was to give the week a title that sums it up, it would "review, review and review". I definitely saw students starting to slip on procedures and not meeting expectations. But this is normal... I totally expected it. I will hold tight to my expectations this coming week and we will continue to practice until we cannot get it wrong.

Lots of times, we teach a procedure and then we think it's not working, we taught it or even just told it, and students are not complying.  This is a critical time to continue reviewing and practicing.  

Routines and the teaching of procedures are foundational pieces of a Well-Run classroom. Consistent routines tied with reinforcement are the building blocks of relationships because they build trust. Routines are made more for the teacher since a classroom running on routines creates a calm environment in which they can teach. It's about creating an environment in which students can learn more than getting kids just to do what you say. Students are human beings, not human doings.

Routines make life better, not necessarily easier. Now that we have taught our routines through procedures training it's important to over the next several weeks to patrol, monitor and reinforce our procedures. If a kid is doing it incorrectly, they must redo it. We don't let it slip! If a kid is doing it correctly, they must be reinforced positively. This takes effort and consistency is key.

What will I add to the mix this week?  My goals are to add Tiger Rewards and an opening tradition.  Looking ahead - I still want a closing tradition and a mantra. I was thinking something about "making simple better".   But, baby steps, my students are only 7th graders.  

I am also adding some small communication pieces today!  Enjoy!

Week 1 - Getting Started

 Fast Llamas,

Week 1 is done and I have some things to share.  I am lucky that my principal laid out week 1 dedicated to procedures and routines.  There were a few presentations that my content shared with students - going over school wide expectations and routines, think, dismissal, lunch, how to's etc.  This gave me a lot of time to focus on my class routines.  Here's what I taught in the time I had left.

1.  Character  - My students loved the video "The Empty Pot".  It is a story about a boy who was faced with a problem.  By handling it well he earned a great prize.  He showed principals of integrity, failure leads to success, speak with good purpose, making the most of every moment that we call - This is IT, commitment, ownership, flexibility and balance - were we put energy toward our goals.

2.  Social Contract - we created a social contract between my students and I, students with one another and the classroom environment.  The social contract was aligned with "Living Above the Line" in which we choose how to respond (especially when things don't go our way) that leads to ownership, freedom, power and trust.  Below the line lies Laying Blame, Justification, Denial and Quitting.  Our new mantra is "Where ya Living?  Above the Line"! 

3.  Call to Attention - I have to say, using a novel call to attention coupled with a story worked!  Our call to attention ties with a rock climbing and we use the response climbers and belayers use.  The kids are receptive and it is working.

4. Voice Levels - Students are understanding 0, 1 and 2 voice levels well.

5. SLANT - I am coupling this with the call to attention.  The students learned a little bit about their Hippocampus and attention.  They are responding to "show me SLANT", after the call to attention.  

S-Sit up

L - Lean in

A - Ask and Answer questions

N - Nod

T - Track the teacher

All of these strategies and routines need attention, patrolling, and reinforcement. Students are not yet ready to perform them without careful and mindful practice and review. In fact, there are fundamental reasons for this:

1. students don't hold the value of our routines as much as we do

2. they are not inherently interesting

However, we must remember that routines and teaching procedures make life in the classroom better, but not necessarily easier.  And continual practice and reinforcement will only make the routines, just that routine.  

Coming up - 1) adding the character keys mentioned to daily lessons 2) adding social skills 3) continual practice and reinforcement 4) smile and learn names.

See you next week!

Starting Over - Kind of

 Fast Llamas,

It's been close to a year since I published.  I suppose me writing is changing that status.  After years of instructional coaching and a couple more behavior management coaching I find myself back in the classroom.  A 7th grade science classroom to be real.  

My goals this year for this blog is to take you on the journey, from the first week to the last and what I put into play in terms of academic and behavioral strategies.  This is exciting stuff and I feel like an undercover agent, ready to spill the beans of what happens in a middle school classroom on the daily.

Leaving to go finish setting up my room - yes, on a Sunday because when you run a classroom, the work you put in the "before" pays off later.  This time will be worth it.  

See you soon,

Good Luck on your first day - it's gonna be great! 

SLANT and Call to Attention

 Hey Fast Llamas, 

This is a repost from 2019, but it's a good one and is reposted due to a coaching conversation I had with the Math coach on my campus.  It's good stuff and a good reminder of strategies... 

 

So far we have talked about Threshold and Strong Start strategies as students enter and we begin class.  
Now what?  How do we get to the learning as fast, efficiently and respectfully as possible?  My first year of teaching I realized quickly that I needed to find a way to get the students attention.  I started flicking the lights on and off.  It worked.  But, I am not sure how I feel about it.  I do know that since I wasn't a QL teacher yet, my overhead lights were always on, so flicking them "off" to get attention wasn't so bad. If I had continued that practice, (when I stopped using fluorescent lighting), that switching the lights "ON" to get their attention would of blinded the kids and would of seemed punishing.  By the time I was using lighting purposely, I had developed a better plan.  (thank goodness).  

The Call to Attention...
Like I mentioned above, what you use to call the students to attention is not a punishment, but a classroom management technique that simplifies your ability to get kids attention in a positive way and teaches kids self-regulating behaviors and guides them to autonomy.  (stay tuned for more on that in a minute).
There are lots of examples of Calls to Attention out there on the web and you may have one you like...  A teacher friend of mine simply says, "Hey"  and the kids say "Ho", another says, "Howdy" and the kids do the same.  Some teachers do a narrating countdown, ("you are quiet in 5, pencils down in 4, eyes on me in three, etc.") or simply hold a hand for "5". The important thing to do is practice it a lot, and hold that 100% compliance is happening by scanning the room.  If the kids know you are waiting and looking, it will be more effective.  Waiting and looking sends a message that you are serious and you expect them to comply.

In my classroom, I used a modified rock climbing command protocol.  In the sport of rock climbing, “on belay” is the first climbing command used by a rope climbing team at the base of a climb. "Belaying" refers to actions used to keep tension on a climbing rope so that in case of mishap, a climber does not fall before being stopped by the rope. "On belay" is the voice command issued by your climbing partner to indicate they are ready to keep the tension of the rope as you climb, thereby ensuring safety of the climber. In my class, I used the metaphor that I was their belayer, holding their rope and supporting them as they climbed 8th grade science.  I believe they had more stock in saying it, since I took the time in a mini-lesson to explain what it meant to me and to them.  It was an effective call to attention. More on what it look, sounded and felt like below.

Change Their State:
To increase my ability to train students to self-regulate and change their state, I combined my call to attention with a kinesthetic state change.  I used SLANT first, which was started in KIPP schools, is used by Quantum Learning (where I learned it) and is mentioned in Doug Lemov's book, Teach Like a Champion.  I later switched to PLAN which is from Doug Curry's How to Train a Llama.  There is STAR too.  

Here are the three that I have seen and used:
Sit up                                            Sit up                                              Posture (sit up)
Lean forward                              Track the speaker                         Lean, look and listen
Ask and answer questions       Ask and answer questions          All things put down
Nod your head                            Respect others                              No talking
Talk to your teacher

As you can see, they are more alike than they are different.  I had success with SLANT and with PLAN.  (the reason for my switch was my entire building used PLAN, no big deal).

Each letter in SLANT also describes what is happening cognitively.  

S, for example, when you sit up, you send a message to the brain that, "this is important".  Has that ever happened to you? Something important is being said and you automatically sit up?  Or you are in a relaxed position while driving, and traffic amps up, so you sit up to be able to pay more attention to it. When we pay attention... we are better able to retain it.

Lean Forward sends a message to the brain to focus.  Have you ever described the plot of a really good movie to someone?  Most likely, you leaned forward to tell the story.  Same with that driving scenario, we naturally lean forward when we want to focus more.

Ask Questions sends a message to the brain that you are interested.  Questions pulls the brain into inquiry mode.  Inquiry mode sparks curiosity.  Curious brains are more creative and you retain more information.

Nod you head.  Ahhh the power of positivity.  When I send a message of positivity to the brain, or equate positive feelings with what I am doing, or reading, the brain picks up on it and will likely store it into long term memory.

Track or Talk to your teacher.  Finally, this last step again, sends a message to the brain that this is important. This is important enough for me to talk about it and follow the teacher as she/he talks about it.  

So, my call to attention looked, sounded and felt like this... 

(remember I  modified it for the classroom, true rock climbers will notice that the commands are reversed, but, it worked for the outcome I needed in the classroom)
Me:  "on belay" 
Kids:  "ready to climb", 
Me: "climb on" 
Kids: "climbing"
Me: "Show me your PLAN"
Kids: would sit up, lean forward, put pencils down, and look at me
Me: scan the room and make corrections and praise and praise and praise

This took practice, on my part to continue using it with fidelity and never getting upset when I had to use it.  I was in control of the classroom behavior in a positive way.  Remember, everytime I used it, I was telling them that I was sending a message that I was there for them,  setting them up for success and they were climbing higher and higher!
I would also manage their behavior by calling to attention when I felt they were getting too loud... right as the volume would rise, I would call them back and either check for understanding or students could share their learning.  
I also would go to the SAME spot in my classroom to call them to attention.  By spring, I could walk to that spot and the volume would decrease automatically.  That's self-regulation folks and sets up kids with feelings of satisfaction and autonomy.  

Tips:
1.  Keep it simple - don't choose something that will cost time or not be something you will hold on to...
2.  Time is important and being quick is the goal... so don't hold kids 15 seconds longer than necessary just to prove you are in control...
3.  Use the fewest words as possible.  A call to attention means you don't have to say "shhh" or other words.  It is all you say.  Talking more steals away the satisfaction and autonomy students gain when they comply.  We are training kids to self-regulate, they need to know what it feels like...
4.  Practice with peers (this practice is called microteaching and doesn't it sound fancy?) your procedures to increase your economy of words.  The goal... talk less.


Here's quick video for guidance.